Josh Hokit open to Tom Aspinall fight if he beats Ciryl Gane at UFC 334
Josh Hokit said any heavyweight could get a fight if he becomes champion on Saturday, but he doubts Tom Aspinall wants to return, citing what he called Aspinall's signing with Eddie Hearn.
Post by @UFCEurope on X
Josh Hokit has said Tom Aspinall would be welcome to fight him if he takes the UFC heavyweight title from Ciryl Gane in Saturday's UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden, though he questioned whether Aspinall intends to come back at all.
Aspinall has not fought since his title defence against Gane more than a year ago, which ended in a no-contest when Gane accidentally poked him in the eyes. His recovery from that injury has kept him out indefinitely. Gane then beat Alex Pereira at UFC White House for the interim title and was later promoted to undisputed champion.
Asked at Wednesday's media day whether he expected to face Aspinall if he wins, Hokit said: “When I’m champion, anybody can get a fight.” He added that he would not hold the belt and sit on the sidelines.
On Aspinall specifically, Hokit said: “I don’t think he wants to come back.” He pointed to what he described as Aspinall signing with Eddie Hearn, whom he called Dana White's archnemesis, and said he read that as a move towards a money fight in boxing. Hokit said it remained to be seen whether the UFC would offer Aspinall a figure he could work with, but that a fight could happen if it made sense.
The unbeaten Hokit was preparing for his UFC debut against Max Gimenis at around the time of the Aspinall-Gane no-contest. He has since won four times in the UFC, beating Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis along the way.
Hokit believes a title win would revive a division he says has lacked a regular presence at the top. “I don’t know if the heavyweight division has been cursed for these amount of years, but they haven’t had an active champion in a while, and so I’m here to give them that.”
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